Speculation on why God permits evildoers to have good lives

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Eucharisted

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I think a reason God permits evildoers to have good lives - lives full of pleasure - is because He knows that they will go to Hell, and so He wants, in His Mercy, for them to have at least some comfort. Not to say all evildoers go to Hell, since God is infinitely merciful.
 
Actually, I think it’s more a matter of His justice. Even evildoers do some good things, and they should receive the proper reward for their (limited) goodness, so they receive a limited reward - one in time and not in eternity.

Betsy
 
I tend to think that he allows them to have comfort in this life, like the rich man at whose gate Lazarus the beggar lived. The rich man received his reward in this life, rather than the next. Free will has a connection here, as the man could have done good to Lazarus any time he wanted to, but chose not to. Much the same with the Pharisees who prayed on street corners only to be seen by others. Jesus said “I tell you, they have received their reward” (public adulation). This tends to indicate that their afterlife would be the same as the rich man’s. God gives us choices, and our eternity is determined by them.
 
Eucharisted said:
I think a reason God permits evildoers to have good lives - lives full of pleasure - is because He knows that they will go to Hell, and so He wants, in His Mercy, for them to have at least some comfort. Not to say all evildoers go to Hell, since God is infinitely merciful.
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i think it’s to set an example for others to see. Like Michael Jackson. Not to say he’s in Hell, but look at the money he spent. The money he spent on himself while on earth did not make him happy. He fed the body to his own body’s detriment and on top of that likely starved the soul.

Well, another reason is because evil is often rewarded, especially in the world nowadays. God wants to remind us of this corrupted world and also to help us to see this battle between the body and soul. It’s a constant battle while on earth since the body and soul are set against each other. Sure, rewarded evildoers may experience bodily pleasure here on earth but what is that worth in the face of eternity?

All these people with money. . .can’t take it with them.
 
In permittiing evildoers to have good lives I think the Lord shows us His immeasurable grace teaching us to" be perfect as Our Heavenly Father is perfect, " Matthew 5: 43-48… (RSV)

Jesus says here, that we must love even those who are our enemies for “He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you,what reward have you?”

This is one of the hardest teachings of our Christian faith…Many in the OT struggled with the unrighteous prospering :King David did and Jonah,…(bless his heart as we say in the south) got downright angry with God for His mercy to the Ninevites.

The Scriptures tell us “there is no God like our God” and everyday when I’m challenged to love my enemies I understand why ! Isaiah 44:6-8

Thanks for this great question … and meditation. :bible1:
 
The Psalmist asked the same question:

Ps 73, KJV.

3For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

5They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

6Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

7Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.

8They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

9They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

10Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

11And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

12Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

13Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

14For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

15If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.

16When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

17Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

18Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

19How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

20As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

21Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

22So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
 
My dear friend Eucharisted

Good topic. Thanks for raising it. I’ve been thinking on it. I think the Cross is one of Gods greatest gifts along with the sacraments, commandments , indwelling, the church and grace. God gives the greatest Crosses to those He loves the most. You cannot go to heaven without the Cross and the greater the Cross the greater the reward. But we must show God our willingness to accept the Cross before He will bless us with it. We just have to say yes, even this is impossible for us to do without grace. We do nothing in the achievement of our salvation. We just cooperate with grace which is the life giving love of God in our souls and God does all the work. I think as a gratuitous gift or perhaps due to our prayers and sacrifices God blesses non believers with the Cross but if they reject it they don’t benefit from it. God sends light crosses to non believers because they can’t handle much. Some non believers clearlr receiive a great Cross and this is a grtuitous gift of God or the result of prayers and sacrifices by others. The Cross should be seen a symbol of Gods love for us and if He wishes to share His cross with us we should be ternally grateful. The more He permits us to share His Cross the greater the love He shows us. If they could they would be blessed with greater Crosses. We should see the Cross as a great gift and blessing from God and trust it will not be one ounce too heavy for us.

I have to do some work now to pay the bills. Work is a cross for me because there’s other things I’d rather do. But I must practise as I preach and embrace my Cross.

May God bless you and keep you ever safe in the palm of His hand:thumbsup:🙂
John
 
Eucharisted said:
I think a reason God permits evildoers to have good lives - lives full of pleasure - is because He knows that they will go to Hell, and so He wants, in His Mercy, for them to have at least some comfort. Not to say all evildoers go to Hell, since God is infinitely merciful.
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To do evil is the human condition 😦 To find an evildoer, all any of us need do is find a mirror.​

I’m not sure that having a good time in this life, & being damned hereafter, is any comfort. It suggests that God is like a lion waiting to spring on his prey, like a zebra at a water-hole. What is the point of the water, if drinking it does no more than make the zebra fit to be lion-food ? Zebras die fairly quickly - but the pains of Hell are unceasing & hopeless :eek: What are 70 years of comfort - interrupted by the sorrows common or usual to mankind - in comparison with that ? The idea that the damned are in effect like Christmas turkeys being fattened for slaughter is horrible.
 
Gottle_of_Geer said:

To do evil is the human condition 😦 To find an evildoer, all any of us need do is find a mirror.​

I’m not sure that having a good time in this life, & being damned hereafter, is any comfort. It suggests that God is like a lion waiting to spring on his prey, like a zebra at a water-hole. What is the point of the water, if drinking it does no more than make the zebra fit to be lion-food ? Zebras die fairly quickly - but the pains of Hell are unceasing & hopeless :eek: What are 70 years of comfort - interrupted by the sorrows common or usual to mankind - in comparison with that ? The idea that the damned are in effect like Christmas turkeys being fattened for slaughter is horrible.
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Ah, but Jesus came, not to condemn the world, but to save it. That is God’s mercy. The fact that you and I are breathing, and not suffering in the flames, is stark evidence of God’s mercy. No?
 
Eucharisted said:
I think a reason God permits evildoers to have good lives - lives full of pleasure - is because He knows that they will go to Hell, and so He wants, in His Mercy, for them to have at least some comfort. Not to say all evildoers go to Hell, since God is infinitely merciful.
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I disagree with your first point Eucharisted. It rains on sinners and saints alike. Yes Stalin died in his bed while his 25 million victims suffered death and destruction in the Gulag.

But if it was as simple as God showing that if you become an evildoer then you will suffer, well then nobody would choose to be an evildoer, and, hence, the loss of free will on our part. God loved us so much he gave us freewill. If every potential tyrant never became a tyrant because God had predetermined what would happen, there would be no free will on this earth.

And not every tyrant lived or lives a good life obviously: Hitler killed himself, Mussolini was hung, Osama bin Laden is not leading a good life hidden in a cave for almost 10 years, Hussein was captured, Himmler committed suicide, etc. you get the picture. The sword cuts both ways.
 
My dear friend Eucharisted

My last post is a bit disjointed because I ran out of time editing it.

I just wanted to add that according to Jesus we are all evil doers, and we are. The only conclusion I can come to from this is that the Cross is a great blessing given to all in varying degrees. If we love God He loves us back through and with His Cross, If we don’t we may be blessed anyway thanks to the merits of the saints or gratuitously by God.

Hope I make sense. I have some outside the square ideas I’ve posted before about God needing to create us rebellious beings in order to be able to show His infinite love for us on a cross, and how this is a perfect creation as is with us rebels. It’s a mystery though.

May the great Mother of God and our Blessed Mother keep you safe:thumbsup:🙂

John
 
John_Russell_Jr said:
My dear friend Eucharisted

My last post is a bit disjointed because I ran out of time editing it.

I just wanted to add that according to Jesus we are all evil doers, and we are. The only conclusion I can come to from this is that the Cross is a great blessing given to all in varying degrees. If we love God He loves us back through and with His Cross, If we don’t we may be blessed anyway thanks to the merits of the saints or gratuitously by God.

Hope I make sense. I have some outside the square ideas I’ve posted before about God needing to create us rebellious beings in order to be able to show His infinite love for us on a cross, and how this is a perfect creation as is with us rebels. It’s a mystery though.

May the great Mother of God and our Blessed Mother keep you safe:thumbsup:🙂

John
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An old post re my theory

My dear friends

I’ve just been thinking as follows and would like your opinions and contribution on this subject too.
In order for God to create a perfect world and beings He had to create beings ( us ) who would rebel. The reason for this is that God is infinite Love and the greatest expression of love is sacrifice. The greatest sacrifice is infinite sacrifice. If we never rebeled God would not have been able to show us His infinite love for us by His infinite sacrifice on the cross.
God loves us with an infinite love and knew we would rebel and this would cause an automatic reaction from God where He would respond with an expression of infinite sacrifice. In order for our world and us to be perfect we had to rebel. The whole thing is really a mystery though. This is just some thoughts on the perfection of God and how that relates to us. I think I’ll tie this in to my refutation of evolution too.

What do you think?

God bless:thumbsup:🙂
John
 
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